Rashawn Slater's recovery is exceeding expectations, boosting Chargers' hopes for a dominant offensive line. Harbaugh provides a positive outlook on his star tackle's return.
It is hard to overstate the importance of Rashawn Slater, and the health of his knee, to the Los Angeles Chargers.
One could go so far as to argue that Slater's torn patellar tendon, which essentially holds the kneecap in place, during the Chargers 2025 training camp was always going to keep the team from reaching their goals during the season and the playoffs.
Such is life when you're a 2x Pro Bowl left tackle, tasked with defending the blindside of a superstar QB like Justin Herbert.
The thing about medical science is, no matter how much improve their is to the technology, there is always a risk that the player never fully returns to the player that they were before the injury. This is especially true when you're talking lower-body injuries to a play that is 6'4" and 315 lbs.
So, as someone who suffers from anxiety, I had my concerns that Slater would be ready for Week 1 in 2026 and would be able to return to his previous Pro Bowl level of player. Those concerns are fading, as far as Slater is concerned anyway, after seeing these quotes from Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh on Chargers.com:
"I've seen Rashawn, he's been in quite a bit," Harbaugh said. "Some of the goals he set when he first got injured and where he wanted to be right now, he's above those.
"I saw him running running [on the practice field]. Looking out the window, saw that and it warmed my heart. That was good to see," Harbaugh said.
For Slater to be running on the knee in March would seem to dictate that his recovery is going well and he'll be fully ready to go by training camp in July.
But, I wouldn't be me if I didn't find something to worry about, and I want to discuss another part of that same Chargers.com article.
Here is how the section on the Chargers injured tackles began:
When the Chargers begin the 2026 season, their offensive line is expected to look vastly different than it did during the playoff game in New England.
That should mean the return of Slater and Alt, both of whom suffered season-ending injuries in 2025. Slater sustained a torn patellar tendon during an August 3 practice and missed the entire season while Alt suffered an ankle injury in Week 4 against the Giants but returned in Week 8 against the Vikings. His presence lasted only two games as he further injured the ankle in Week 9.
Harbaugh provided an update on their respective rehabs on Wednesday.
The update on Slater was, as stated above, wonderful. Heartening, even.
The update on Joe Alt was....nonexistent. It never came! The conversation switches from Rashawn Slater to the players the team has signed to their offensive line in free agent, along with some returning players. It's like Alt doesn't exist!
The good news here is that Alt's injury was, in theory, less serious than Slater's. He injured his ankle but returned to play about a month later, only to re-injure the same ankle and deciding on surgery to fix it. That's when he was shut down for the rest of the season.
Back in January, Slater said that his recovery timeline from the surgery (which he had in early November) was 9-12 months, which could mean that he's ready for the start of the season or could mean that he will miss the first few months of the regular season. This is why it would've been nice to have an update!
Hopefully, we'll get a similar positive update on Alt soon and all will be well for the Chargers offensive line heading into 2026.